Transport Reporter

"The frequency we have to start with is only going to increase." Gladys Berejiklian. Photo: Quentin Jones

The tram extension to Dulwich Hill should open in March, Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian has said, as long as no problems emerge during track testing.

But commuters using the new service may have to wait for service frequencies to increase, as the government awaits the delivery of another 10 trams in the next 18 months.

Ms Berejiklian announced on Wednesday major construction of the nine new light rail stops between Lilyfield and Dulwich Hill was now completed, and the tracks and infrastructure were ready.

The only thing left to do is test the vehicles, on what will be the first major piece of public transport infrastructure opened under the O'Farrell government.

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The vehicles include the trams that run on the existing line between Central and Lilyfield, as well as two new trams the government has bought, and four it has leased. Another 10 vehicles purchased for the new line will be delivered in the next year and a half.

"When we came to government the previous government had not even thought about where to get the light rail vehicles from," Ms Berejiklian said at the new Dulwich Grove stop on Wednesday. "They had not ordered any light rail vehicles."

Ms Berejiklian declined to say how frequently trams would run on the new line - or how long trips would take on the line - until she announced the start date of the extension.

"We came to government promising we would complete the inner west light rail extension, we've done that," the Minister said.

She said the stops on the line would show in real-time when the next tram was due, unlike the situation on the current line.

And the frequency that trams will run on the line will increase as the government receives another 10 trams, ordered from Spain's Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles.

"There's no doubt that is our intention," Ms Berejiklian said. "I'm absolutely confident the frequency we have to start with is only going to increase into the future."